A New Hope
by omalleyanatomy26
Summary: decided to change the story. Reid has a little brother who's been kidnapped for several years. What happens when the BAU find his brother? Can Reid help him recover or is it too late? PLEASE REVIEW! A AU fic. UPDATED! PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW!
1. Chapter 1

**I did have a story started where Reid has an autistic little brother but I didn't think I would do that fic justice, so I decided to create this story instead because I don't know enough about autisim to write about it. **

Reid swallowed. It had been 7 years since his younger brother's kidnapping. He was 20 when his 13 year old brother was taken. 21 when he was hired. Gideon had known about his brother, but he had asked him not to say anything to Hotch or anyone else. It was too painful not to know.

But after Hotch finding out about his mother the way he did he decided to confess about his brother's, Billy, kidnapping. Hotch promised not to tell the rest of the team. He understood the need for privacy. He hated keeping something like this from Morgan and the others, but...he still felt guilt for what had happened.

He was used to leaving Billy at home while he went to college. He was finishing up his 3rd degree. Billy shouldn't have been left alone, though. It was _his responsiblity to look after him._

It was hard, caring for a little brother and a mentally ill mother. Billy tried to help, but mostly he got in the way. And he was so different from Reid. Reid was always a little jealous that Billy was so...so _normal._

He shouldn't have been gone that night. But no, he had to catch up on studying and leave Billy to fend for himself for dinner. He remembered the sick feeling he had gotten when he saw the house had been broken into. That it was trashed. And Billy was missing.

He searched none stop that year and then the FBI recruited him. He went on secretly searching, though. He couldn't give up on Billy. He still hadn't but he had seen enough kidnapping cases to have to face the grim reality of the situation.

Those cases made him sick to his stomach as he imagined that happening to Billy.

He had to get rid of those thoughts, though. It was time for a briefing.

He noticed JJ looked at him oddily, as if afraid to say anything to him. He brushed that off, though as he slid into his seats. Morgan was chatting with Emily and Rossi was in some kind of debate with Hotch.

"What do you have for us, JJ?" Hotch asked.

JJ sighed.

"This one is going to be...unsual." Again she glanced at Reid.

"Unusual how?" Rossi asked.

"It's unusual because the victim is alive. He was found after being kidnapped for several years."

"My God," breathed Emily.

"We have reason to believe the kidnapper will strike again, soon," continued JJ.

"Do you have a picture of the victim?" Morgan asked and JJ slowly nodded. A picture of a young man with blond hair and a bruised face appeared on the screen. But beneath the bruisings Reid recoginzed the young man instantly and almost fell off his seat.

"His name is Billy," JJ said softly. This time she looked directly at Reid. "William Reid Jr."

All eyes turned on him but all he could see was his brother's face staring back at him.

His brother who was alive after all these years.

His brother who was finally found. Finally safe.


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm really looking forward to this story!**

They continued to stare at him. You could almost feel the shock in the room.

"Reid?" Morgan asked softly, "Is there anything you'd like to say to us?"

Reid swallowed, and swallowed again. He glanced at JJ.

"Do you know how he is?" His voice was soft, scared.

JJ slowly shook her head.

"Reid." This time it was Emily talking. She sounded hurt. His eyes lowered. Hotch noticed the kid's discomfort.

"He's Reid's brother," he finally said. All eyes turned on him.

"YOU knew?" Morgan cried out and Hotch nodded.

"Reid told me a few years ago. We both mutually agreed we shouldn't tell anyone else. The less people that knew about this...situation, the better."

Reid closed his eyes. Why was Hotch trying to bail him out when he had done so many wrong things? Like not being there to save Billy.

"Reid?" Morgan said quietly. He looked up, tears were in his eyes. "Is that why you didn't tell us?"

He nodded, slowly.

"That, and I was ashamed. And I felt guilty."

"Why?" Pressed JJ. She seemed stunned as well.

"Because it was my fault that Billy got kidnapped."

"Reid," Hotch said quietly. "We've been through this. It's not your fault-"

"I was supposed to watch him! He was only 13 years old, damn it! And I left him alone, to fend for dinner. Alone so I could study." They saw the pained look on Reid's face and Morgan shook his head, feeling the pain himself. "I...I came home and the glass on the door was broken." He swallowed. They all knew what was coming. "I...I walked in and the house was trashed." His throat cloased. "And Billy...I searched for him everywhere. Billy was gone."

He shook his head, as if to clear it.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you all, but I didn't want to bring it up to anyone, to talk about it. I couldn't..admit outloud my failure to protect him." He bit his lip. "He was only 13," he added in a whisper. "Only 13."

Morgan sighed as he felt pity for the kid for what he had went through. The anger and hurt slowly vanished.

"Reid." His voice was filled with sympathy instead of anger. "It's not-"

"Don't SAY it's not my fault, Morgan! I know it is! I was supposed to watch him! And I didn't! And because of that THIS happened to him!" He gestured to the picture. Anger was in his own voice now, anger at himself. JJ was crying, crying at the pain he was carrying. Emily felt tears in her eyes as well.

"We should go to the hospital," said Rossi suddenly. He had kept quiet throughout the converesations, observing everything, profiling people's reactions to the news. Reid's reactions. Trying to understand everything in his own way. "See how Billy is doing."

Reid nodded. He felt an overwhelming sense of anxiety and nervousness. He tried to get up, but he couldn't. He felt like he was frozen to the chair.

"Reid?" JJ asked. They were at the door. He looked at them.

"Can't move." He sounded so scared, scared of everything their hearts went out to him

"Reid," Hotch said, and spoke in a soft tone. "He's not going to blame you. And I know you don't believe me, but it's not your fault." He walked over to Reid and placed his hand out. "He's not going to hate you," he added and Reid slowly nodded and allowed Hotch to help him up.

"I'll go tell Garcia what's happening," Morgan murmured to Emily. "And I'll see you at the hospital." Emily nodded.

They all left, absorbing this new information and as Reid walked his legs were actually shaking.

He knew Hotch said Billy wouldn't blame or hate him but he also knew that wasn't true.

After all how could Billy NOT hate him or blame him when this all happened because of him?

Would he ever really forgive himself? Could Billy? The answer was no to him. No one could forgive him for what he had done, and no one should.

He deserved to live with this guilt. That was his punishemnt. His punishement for changing Billy's life-forever.

With tears rolling down his cheeks he headed towards the hospital-scared to death of what he'd find. Scared of what the future held.


End file.
